Plans to sign the world's largest free trade pact at a regional summit in Bangkok have been thrown into doubt after objections from India. China, hurt by its trade war with the US, is keen to see the deal finalized.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/M. Vatsyayana
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An agreement to create the world's largest trade bloc will be signed by Asian countries in 2020, the Thai government said Monday.
Thailand, which is hosting the three-day Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Bangkok, had previously said it hoped to conclude negotiations on the trade deal by the end of the year.
The new trade area, known as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), involves the 10 ASEAN members, plus China, Australia, New Zealand, India, Japan and South Korea. If implemented, it would be the world's largest free trade bloc, comprising nearly half the world's population and about a third of GDP.
Under pressure
The trade war between China and the United States has taken a toll on export-dependent Southeast Asian countries. Economic growth in the region is projected to slow this year to its lowest level in five years, making the signing of the deal more pressing for many ASEAN members.
Speaking at the summit's formal opening, Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha called for a swift agreement "within this year to stimulate economic growth as well as trade and investment."
"The early conclusion of RCEP negotiations will lay the foundation for East Asia's economic integration," a statement from China's Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.
RCEP negotiations had stalled over India raising concerns about the impact a flood of cheap Chinese goods could have on local businesses.
Some countries have also raised the possibility of moving ahead without India. Discussions on the deal will resume when member states meet on Monday afternoon.
ASEAN countries at a glance
Five decades ago, ASEAN came to life, bringing together an array of ethnic, religious and linguistic groups. The bloc now has over 600 million inhabitants. Here's a look at the various member countries.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/A. Rahim
Symbolizing unity
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) celebrated its 50th anniversary last year. Since its founding, the bloc has emerged as a beacon of unity in Southeast Asia, although it has often struggled to find consensus among members over key policy issues affecting the region's politics, security and the economy, among other things.
Image: Reuters/E. de Castro
Brunei
The Sultanate of Brunei, located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, is one of the richest nations in the world. The small, oil-rich country is governed by its sultan as an absolute Muslim monarchy. Islam is the official religion in Brunei, with Sunni Muslims making up about 70 percent of the population. The sultan also sees himself as the main custodian of religious beliefs in Brunei.
Image: Fotolia
Cambodia
Cambodia joined the ASEAN grouping in 1999, and during the past ten years, the Cambodian economy has grown by at least 7 percent year after year. That makes it one of the fastest growing economies in the world. But the unequal distribution of wealth and income is a problem, with many of the nation's around 16-million strong population stuck in abject poverty, especially in rural areas.
Image: Erik Jan Ouwerkerk
Indonesia
Indonesia plays a salient role in ASEAN due to its status as the bloc's most populous member state as well as the world's most populous Muslim nation, with over 250 million inhabitants. The ASEAN secretariat is also based in the country's capital, Jakarta. Indonesia, which comprises around 17,000 islands, is the world's largest archipelago nation and boasts Southeast Asia's biggest economy.
Image: A Brit and a Broad
Laos
Laos became a member of the ASEAN bloc in 1997. The country has a population of around 6.5 million. Around 80 percent of the inhabitants of the poor, landlocked and isolated communist country depend upon farming for their livelihood. That's how they subsist and feed their families. Laos has an increasingly close relationship with China.
Image: Imago/J. Langley
Malaysia
A founding member of ASEAN, Malaysia has the club's third-largest economy. Religion and politics are sensitive issues in Malaysian politics, with the deadly sectarian riots of 1969 often cited as the need to maintain ethnic harmony in the country. Over 60 percent of Malaysia's 30 million inhabitants are Muslim, with the rest adhering to Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, and other religions.
Image: Saeed Khan/AFP/Getty Images
Myanmar
Myanmar, which joined the club in 1997, was ruled for decades by a military junta that left it impoverished. The party of Aung San Suu Kyi, the nation's democracy icon, won the first fully free elections for generations, held in 2015. But authorities are struggling to tackle a powerful Buddhist nationalist movement that has grown in strength in recent years and favors the former military rulers.
Image: AFP/Getty Images
The Philippines
The Philippines, an archipelago nation consisting of thousands of islands, is one of the most disaster-prone areas in the world. The country has has a population of over 100 million, and one of the fastest expanding economies. But it has suffered major environmental degradation in recent years due to reasons such as mismanagement of resources, deforestation and high population growth.
Image: Imago/M. Runkel
Singapore
The wealthy city-state has been a member of ASEAN since the bloc's founding in 1967. The country has a thriving economy, which has grown at a rapid pace since independence, underpinned by its position as a global financial hub. Densely populated Singapore has a multi-racial citizenry as well as tough laws against protests and curbs on press freedom.
Image: picture-alliance/robertharding/A. Hall
Thailand
Thailand's politics have been characterized by a long series of coups, with the nation's military frequently ousting democratically elected governments. The 2014 coup marked the 12th successful military takeover since Thailand embraced parliamentary democracy 85 years ago. The country boasts Southeast Asia's second-biggest economy and the reputation of being an attractive tourist destination.
Image: DW/S. Bandopadhyay
Vietnam
Vietnam has been ruled by a one-party communist state since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. Since 1986, Vietnam has introduced sweeping market reforms to boost growth and development. But the ruling party doesn't permit criticism and the country is ranked among the worst for press freedom. Vietnam joined ASEAN in 1995.
Image: AFP/Getty Images
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South China Sea tensions
Tensions over the contested South China Sea were also on the agenda at the ASEAN gathering. After meeting with leaders, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said Beijing was ready to work with countries in the region to ensure long-term peace and stability.
Li said significant progress had been made on a legally binding code of conduct, which is due to be completed by 2021. The document has long been an aim for ASEAN countries, which reject China's vast maritime claims and accuse Beijing of encroaching on their territory.
